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Morning Briefing Aug. 5, 2021: Residents forced to evacuate after Westland apartment complex catches fire, new COVID guidance from Michigan for upcoming school year

Here are this morning’s top stories

Westland fire

Residents evacuated after Westland apartment complex catches fire

Investigators are working to determine the cause of a fire that on Thursday morning overcame a Westland apartment complex.

Officials say at about 12 a.m. Thursday, the Westwood Village Apartments near Joy Road and North Hix Road caught on fire. Three buildings, which included a total of 36 units, were damaged in the fire.

See the story here.


Michigan releases COVID guidance for upcoming school year, urges universal masking

Michigan has revealed its updated COVID-19 safety guidelines to protect students from the virus when they return to in-person learning.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services updated its recommendations to reflect the current guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on asking and COVID prevention.

MDHHS officials said the best way to keep students safe is to layer multiple COVID prevention strategies.

Read more here.


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Henry Ford Health System reports ‘significant’ increase in COVID hospitalizations

There has been a serious increase in COVID delta variant cases nationwide.

Henry Ford Health System officials said they are seeing an increase in patients hospitalized with the virus.

“As of this morning we have 48 patients hospitalized with COVID across five hospitals. This is a significant jump from where we were two weeks ago. We were in the twenties so this is almost doubling the numbers that we have seen,” said Henry Ford chief clinical officer Dr. Adnan Munkarah.

See the report here.


Tailgating for Detroit Lions games not allowed at Eastern Market this season due to lack of staff

As of Aug. 4, there are less than 40 days are left until the Detroit Lions kick off its season at Ford Field against the San Francisco 49ers.

However, tailgating at Eastern Market will not be allowed this season due to a lack of staff and capacity to handle large-scale crowds.

Learn more here.


🔥 2 million popular dehumidifiers sold at big stores recalled for fire risk: Full list of products


Hundreds of dead fish found floating in Oakland County lake, state investigating

The state of Michigan is investigating after the sudden death of hundreds of common carp in Oakland County.

All of the deaths have been reported since the middle of July in Lake Orion.

See more here.


Biden seeks to boost fuel economy to thwart Trump rollback

The Biden administration wants automakers to raise gas mileage and cut tailpipe pollution between now and model year 2026, and it has won a voluntary commitment Thursday from the industry that electric vehicles comprise up to half of U.S. sales by the end of the decade.

The moves are big steps toward President Joe Biden’s pledge to cut emissions and battle climate change as he pushes a history-making shift in the U.S. from internal combustion engines to battery-powered vehicles. They also reflect a delicate balance to gain both industry and union support for the environmental effort, with the future promise of new jobs and billions in new federal investments in electric vehicles.

Read more here.


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Weather: Nice summer day with small rain chance


COVID in Michigan 💉

The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 906,538 as of Tuesday, including 19,947 deaths, state officials report.

Tuesday’s update includes a total of 2,605 new cases and 26 additional deaths over a 4-day period -- an average of 651.25 cases per day. Of the 26 deaths reported Tuesday, 10 were identified during a review of records.

On Friday, the state announced a total of 903,933 cases and 19,921 deaths.

The state only reports COVID data updates on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Testing has dropped to around 10,000 diagnostic tests reported per day on average, with the 7-day positive rate at 5.92% as of Tuesday, slightly higher than the previous week. The positive test rate has been steadily climbing since the end of June, when it was at its lowest. Hospitalizations were declining for several weeks until last week, with a slight uptick in inpatients was reported.

Cases are rising again in Michigan. The state’s 7-day moving average for daily cases was 694 on Tuesday, more than five times the average on July 1. The 7-day death average was 6 on Tuesday, near the lowest since March. The state’s fatality rate is 2.2%. The state also reports “active cases,” which were listed at 14,600 on Tuesday.

Michigan has reported more than 9.2 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered as of Tuesday, with 63.8% of 16+ residents having received at least one dose while 55.8% of 16+ residents are considered fully vaccinated.

Here’s a look at more of the data:


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About the Author
Cassidy Johncox headshot

Cassidy Johncox is a senior digital news editor covering stories across the spectrum, with a special focus on politics and community issues.

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